Sicily and Italy Advice
Jan 4th, 2013, 03:06 AM
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Sicily and Italy Advice
Planning a trip to Sicily and Italy. Would flying into Palermo and out of Rome be best? How many hours is the ferry from Sicily to Naples? What you recommend we see in 5 or 6 days. Would it be better to fly from Sicily to Naples and if so on what airline? Appreciate any advice given!
Jan 4th, 2013, 04:38 AM
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Mike-- can you provide more details? is it 5-6 days total or in Sicily? are you planning extra days for Rome? what time of the year? are you planning to rent a car? how many people trabeling? have been in Italy/Sicily before? why do YOU want to go to Sicily? would you be taking a car across? The ferry Sicily- Naples have a seasonal itinerary; in the Summer there is even an overnight. If you only have 5-6 days for this trip, stay in Rome. If you have 5-6 days for Sicily, fly directly into Palermo or Catania.
Jan 6th, 2013, 05:25 AM
#5
mikel - that's a 20 day trip you've got there!
even if you have 5 days in Sicily, you've got to get there and back, then you have to get to the amalfi coast, and tour there, and finally you've got to get back to Rome. in reality, you'll only have 4 or so days in each place.
where would you be flying into? if you could fly into Naples, you could spend a few days there, then get the boat to Palermo, then fly back to Rome. or vice versa.
even if you have 5 days in Sicily, you've got to get there and back, then you have to get to the amalfi coast, and tour there, and finally you've got to get back to Rome. in reality, you'll only have 4 or so days in each place.
where would you be flying into? if you could fly into Naples, you could spend a few days there, then get the boat to Palermo, then fly back to Rome. or vice versa.
Jan 7th, 2013, 04:54 AM
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Hi mike,
There is no one airline that is better than others. Pick the one that best suits your schedule.
I did a trip like yours in 14 days and had a good time. My first week, I started out in Rome for a few days, then went to Naples, Pompeii & Herculanum, the Amalfi coast and then returned to Naples to fly to to Catania, and spent the next 6 days in Sicily with a car. I visited places like Taormina, Adrano, Ortygia, Siracusa, Ragusa/Noto/Modica, and Agrigento. I saw Monreale and spent a night in Mondello outside of Palermo before dropping off the car at Palermo airport and flying back to Rome, and home.
I went in April, so it was too early for the overnight ferries to be running from Salerno.
It was busy, and of course there were some places I liked more than others. I skipped Palermo because I wanted to see some smaller towns, and obviously some people wouldn't do just the opposite. I wished I'd spent more time in Naples and Pompei rather than the Amalfi (just taking the drive along the cliffs would have satisfied me), and other people feel just the opposite. If you've never been to Rome (I had), and you plan to tour the Vatican and the Roman antiquity sights, it takes more than a few days or else it all becomes a blur.
Driving in Sicily is tiring, I think (and you don't want to drive in Palermo at all), so drawing up a realistic itinerary that doesn't keep you on the road all day in Sicily is best.
You don't need to see a lot of sights of Sicily to make it worth your while to go there. People are often mesmerized by the picture on the map of it being an island, and they think if they go, they must try to see as much as humanly possible, and some people think you shouldn't go unless you have X days. But go and see as much as you like, and go home. It's got a lot of beautiful stuff, and I doubt anybody has seen it all, even when they had 2 years.
There is no one airline that is better than others. Pick the one that best suits your schedule.
I did a trip like yours in 14 days and had a good time. My first week, I started out in Rome for a few days, then went to Naples, Pompeii & Herculanum, the Amalfi coast and then returned to Naples to fly to to Catania, and spent the next 6 days in Sicily with a car. I visited places like Taormina, Adrano, Ortygia, Siracusa, Ragusa/Noto/Modica, and Agrigento. I saw Monreale and spent a night in Mondello outside of Palermo before dropping off the car at Palermo airport and flying back to Rome, and home.
I went in April, so it was too early for the overnight ferries to be running from Salerno.
It was busy, and of course there were some places I liked more than others. I skipped Palermo because I wanted to see some smaller towns, and obviously some people wouldn't do just the opposite. I wished I'd spent more time in Naples and Pompei rather than the Amalfi (just taking the drive along the cliffs would have satisfied me), and other people feel just the opposite. If you've never been to Rome (I had), and you plan to tour the Vatican and the Roman antiquity sights, it takes more than a few days or else it all becomes a blur.
Driving in Sicily is tiring, I think (and you don't want to drive in Palermo at all), so drawing up a realistic itinerary that doesn't keep you on the road all day in Sicily is best.
You don't need to see a lot of sights of Sicily to make it worth your while to go there. People are often mesmerized by the picture on the map of it being an island, and they think if they go, they must try to see as much as humanly possible, and some people think you shouldn't go unless you have X days. But go and see as much as you like, and go home. It's got a lot of beautiful stuff, and I doubt anybody has seen it all, even when they had 2 years.
Jan 7th, 2013, 07:26 AM
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You might want to take a look at my trip report, which was longer than what you anticipate, but might give you some ideas of what to see; click on my name to find it.
I believe that there is an overnight ferry between Palermo and Naples, which might the time of traveling to the airport, fly and traveling from the airport at the destination. The cost might not be much more than a night at the hotel if purchasing a non-refundable ticket ahead of time.
With the exception of Palermo and Sciacca, we had no problems driving in Sicily.
I believe that there is an overnight ferry between Palermo and Naples, which might the time of traveling to the airport, fly and traveling from the airport at the destination. The cost might not be much more than a night at the hotel if purchasing a non-refundable ticket ahead of time.
With the exception of Palermo and Sciacca, we had no problems driving in Sicily.
